THQ Partners Announces Distribution Deal with Codemasters

THQ Will Distribute Four Codemasters Titles in North America Throughout 2011:
DiRT 3™, Operation Flashpoint™ Red River, BODYCOUNT™ and F1 2011™

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--()--THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced an agreement in which THQ Partners will distribute four of Codemasters’ premier video games in North America during 2011. THQ Partners provides select developers and publishers access to THQ’s global retail and online publishing network. Codemasters will continue to handle North American marketing.

“Bringing together THQ’s world-class publishing and Codemasters’ highly acclaimed titles is a win-win situation for both companies,” said Tim Walsh, Vice President, THQ Partners. “Our goal is to offer Codemasters a custom distribution solution so they can outsource the functions they don’t need to own.”

“The THQ Partners initiative truly resonated with us,” said Rod Cousens, CEO of Codemasters. “THQ stands as a publishing force in North America and provides us the mindshare, commitment and resources of their organization to successfully drive Codemasters products in this very important market.”

THQ Partners will distribute the following Codemasters titles:

  • DiRT 3: DiRT 3 delivers action sports racing by the bucketful with more than double the track content of DiRT 2™ and three times the rally-specific content, including the best rally cars from the sport’s last five decades. Available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, DiRT 3 will hit shelves May 24.
  • Operation Flashpoint Red River: The brutal new chapter in the world-renowned, multimillion-selling franchise, Operation Flashpoint Red River takes the tactical military shooter to new levels of intense authenticity. On a deadly new battlefield where one bullet can kill, Operation Flashpoint Red River takes players closer to the experience of a U.S. Marine Corps campaign than ever before. Available for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and PC Games for Windows® on June 7.
  • BODYCOUNT: Set to deliver the best gunplay experience in FPS gaming, BODYCOUNT is an adrenaline-pumping arcade shooter packed with powerful firefights. Gamers will experience the intense satisfaction of spectacular close-quarters combat in a shreddable world as players and opponents tear through cover to execute explosive kills. Available for the Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 later this summer.
  • F1 2011: The sequel to hugely successful F1 2010 FORMULA ONE game that has sold more than 2.3M units globally to date, F1 2011 will race into stores September 23. In F1 2011 players will be challenged to ‘be the driver, live the life, go compete,’ with wide-ranging technical and gameplay advancements on and off track and vastly extended competitive and co-operative multiplayer components. Now available for pre-order, F1 2011 will be available for PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360® with Nintendo 3DS™ and Sony NGP to follow.

With offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, THQ's industry leading global publishing operation reaches all major video game territories worldwide. Retailers around the world have consistently recognized THQ as a best-in-class vendor.

About THQ

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.

About Codemasters

Codemasters, the award winning games developer and publisher, has a 24-year heritage and annual revenues in excess of US$ 150 Million. The company’s dominant brands include DiRT, GRID and Operation Flashpoint; the company retains the exclusive worldwide video game rights to FORMULA ONE. Codemasters operates three UK development studios – one at its Warwickshire HQ with further sites at Guildford and Birmingham. An additional art studio is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2009 Codemasters won the coveted Grand Prix Award at the 2009 Develop Industry Excellence Awards, an award bestowed on the company felt by Develop to have contributed the most to the games medium in recent times. Across the group, Codemasters employs over 450 people. In March 2010, Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL), a part of India’s Reliance ADA group, acquired a 50 per cent shareholding in the company, alongside existing investor, Balderton Capital, the leading European venture capital firm that first invested in Codemasters in 2005. For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com.

Codemasters is a registered trademark owned by The Codemasters Software Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. NINTENDO DS, Wii AND THE Wii LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the business of THQ Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “THQ”), including, but not limited to, expectations and projections related to THQ’s distribution of four Codemasters titles in North America, and are based upon management’s current beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, business, competitive, economic, legal, political and technological factors affecting our industry, operations, markets, products or pricing. Readers should carefully review the risk factors and the information that could materially affect THQ’s financial results, described in other documents that THQ files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2010, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and particularly the discussion of trends and risk factors set forth therein. Unless otherwise required by law, THQ disclaims any obligation to update its view on any such risks or uncertainties or to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

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Contacts

THQ Corporate Communications
Angela Emery, 818-871-8650
angela.emery@thq.com
or
Bender/Helper Impact for THQ
Frances Ratliff, 310-694-3106
frances_ratliff@bhimpact.com
or
fortyseven communications for Codemasters
Laura Weir, 323-658-1200
codemasters@fortyseven.com

Contacts

THQ Corporate Communications
Angela Emery, 818-871-8650
angela.emery@thq.com
or
Bender/Helper Impact for THQ
Frances Ratliff, 310-694-3106
frances_ratliff@bhimpact.com
or
fortyseven communications for Codemasters
Laura Weir, 323-658-1200
codemasters@fortyseven.com